Tag Archives: loom

Wow, that is the first time I have had to write 2019! The days whiz by and suddenly it is the next year. As a child, the years went by so slowly, and now they fly by before I have adjusted to it being a new one.

For the first time in what seems forever, we have sunshine. The morning began bleak, rainy, and very windy. We braved mixed winter precipitation to go to town and get breakfast and see what vendors came out for the winter Farmers’ Market. The January to April markets are informal, the vendors being allowed to park their trucks and vans in parking spaces that are closed off and occupied by other vendors during the high season markets. The morning goal was some pork, eggs, and breads and all were obtained before heading to the grocer for the non local needs.

The chicks are 9 weeks old tomorrow, so we have at least 14 or 15 more weeks before we will start seeing eggs from them. Their adult plumage is developing and though not a heritage flock, they will be pretty and there will be a variety of egg colors from green, dark brown, medium brown, and light tan. They have figured out the big girl feeder and the big girl water dispenser and are not afraid of the pop door to the outside anymore. The first day they stayed inside, the next day most were escorted out by me and that night 5 of them were found huddled in an empty feed bucket under the coop. Now, all of them can find their way out and back inside at night, though they wait until it is nearly dead dark to go in.

The Christmas week brought much family time. We had an Italian style meal on Christmas eve with daughter’s family at her home, awoke to the empty house on Christmas day. We celebrated quietly, having Huevos Rancheros and sausages for hubby and exchanging our gifts. Christmas Day, daughter’s family came here for a mid afternoon turkey and ham dinner. The next day, eldest son and eldest grandson came to celebrate and work on the deck.

Wanting to expand my fiber tools, I had asked for a 5 foot tri-loom and easel which I gladly received.

Once I figured out how to assemble it, You Tube was visited to watch weavers using one. There are several methods. The first one I tried was called continuous loop weaving. You never cut your yarn weaving across and up and down by weaving the strand with a hook.

The first triangle is a generous shawl made with two skeins of my hand spun yarn, a very smooth Corriedale and a very textured blend of Merino, Tencel, and Mohair locks plyed with Wooly Nylon, a stretchy thin thread. It was challenging as the textured yarn wanted to grab the other yarn and itself. Once it was off the loom, I decided to make one to wear when I am doing the living history events on cool days. It is being done with cut strand method and weaves on the diagonal.

While trying to get it done for an event tomorrow, I was also trying to get a pair of fingerless mitts finished as well as I will be selling knitted and woven goods at Old Christmas at Wilderness Road Regional Museum and demonstrating spinning tomorrow.

They were finished except for weaving in the ends while being passenger to breakfast, Farmers’ Market, and the grocery. There are less than 20 rows to go on the shawl, so hopefully it will be woven though not washed and blocked for tomorrow. It is my hand spun Coopworth from Hearts of the Meadow Farm.

I must admit, that weaving up my hand spun uses it much more quickly than knitting up the same amount of yarn.

As for the week after Christmas, eldest son and grand worked together to put the Trex surface boards on the deck.

We are excited to be able to safely go out the French Doors of the dining room and not have a one story fall. The deck surface and stairs are done. The surface is maintenance free. Unfortunately, the rails did not arrive in time for installation then, but they have now arrived and are due to be delivered this week. When he has time, eldest will return and put up the railings, balusters, and post caps. When the pressure treated posts have dried, they will be painted to match the railing and will be the only part of the deck that will require maintenance of repainting periodically.

While we were sorting tools, putting away cords, he and I tackled phase one of a major garage cleaning and reorganization, labeling boxes that contain power tools, making a pile of tile and metal fittings, Trex scraps, and other items to keep. Most of that was moved to the barn today. More will be moved another day and once the deck is done, the garage sorted out the rest of the way, a barn organization is in order. It has become a repository of building materials, building equipment, and miscellaneous other stuff. Some of it needs to go home with it’s owner, some can be sold or given away, some just needs to be straightened up so we can find it when a job needs it. Some of the tile that was moved can be used to replace the water damaged bamboo floor in front of the walkout basement door. That is another task for another time.

Back to weaving or the shawl won’t be done. I hope you had a great holiday season and have faced the new year with hope and strength.